Automatic reclosing circuit breaker system



Patented Oct. 21, 1941 AUTOMATIC RECLO SING CIRCUIT BREAKER SYSTEM William R. Taliaferro, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 11, 1939, Serial No. 289,602

4 Claims.

My invention relates, generally, to control systems and, more particularly, to load measuring control systems for automatic reclosing circuit breaker systems.

It is common practice to provide load measuring systems for controlling circuit breakers which function to measure the load on the load circuit and to actuate the circuit breaker to energize the load circuit only when the load is below a predetermined maximum. Heretofore such systems have required very sensitive and expensive relays for their satisfactory operation.

An object of my invention is to provide an automatic load measuring control system for a circuit breaker which shall function efficiently and economically without the use of sensitive and expensive relays. I

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic load measuring circuit breaker control system which shall be sensitive. simple, and reliable in operation. and inexpensive to manufacture, install, maintain and operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic reclosing circuit breaker control system controlled by an electric discharge device and having time delayed reclosing means controlled in accordance with the characteristics of the electric discharge device and its operating circuits.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an automatic reclosing circuit breaker control system embodying the principal features of my invention; and I Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of another automatic reclosing circuit breaker control system embodying the principal features of my invention. Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the two figures of the drawing.

In practicing the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, I provide a circuit breaker Ill disposed to connect a positive power bus conductor l2 with a load circuit conductor H, the negative conductor It being directly connected to the load circuit. The circuit breaker I0 is controlled by an auxiliary relay l8 and an overload relay 20. An electric discharge device 22 is connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit which includes the effective resistance of the load on the conductors l4 and I6, to energize the auxiliary relay I8, which, in turn, closes the 65 circuit breaker l0 when the effective load resistance is above a predetermined amount.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1 except that an electric discharge device 24 is connected to close the circuit breaker l0 when it is rendered conductive by the potential drop across a biasing resistor 26 which is connected across the load circuit conductors i4 and I6 while the circuit breaker is open. When a predetermined equivalent load resistance exists between the load circuit conductors l4 and Hi, there will be sufficient potential drop across the biasing resistor 26 to render the electric discharge device 24 conductive to thereby close the circuit breaker l0.

Considering the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 more in detail, the closing windins of the circuit breaker I0 is connected to be energized in a circuit extending from the conductor 12 through the conductor 26. the contact element 28 of the overload relay 20, conductor 30. the closing winding of th circuit breaker l0, conductors 32 and 34, contact element 35 of the auxiliary relay l8 and conductors 38 and 40 to the power circuit conductor l6. When the circuit breaker I 0 has been actuated to closed position, its contact element 42 closes a holding circuit for the circuit breaker which extends from the power circuit conductor I 2 through the conductor 26, contact element 28, conductor 30, the closing winding of the circuit breaker l0, conductor 32, contact element 42 and conductor 40 to the power circuit conductor IS.

The auxiliary relay I8 is connected to be controlled by the electric discharge device 22 in a circuit which extends from the conductor l2 through the conductors 44 and 46, the winding of relay l8, conductor 48, the discharge device 22, conductor 50, adjustable resistor 52, conductor 54, contact element and conductors 58 and 40 to the conductor IS.

The cathode of the electric discharge device is connected to be energized in a circuit controlled by the back contact element 56 of the circuit breaker Ill which extends from the conductor l2 through the conductor 44, a resistor 60, conductor 52, the cathode of the electric discharge device 22, conductor 50, adjustable resistor 52, conductor 54, contact element 56 and conductors 58 and 40 to the conductor [6.

The resistors 60 and 52, a resistor 64 connected between the power circuit conductor [2 and the load circuit conductor I4 constitute three legs'and the effective load resistance between the conductors l4 and I6 constitutes a fourth leg of a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and a biasing resistor 66 is connected in the galvanometer position in the bridge circuit in a circuit which extends from the conductor I4, conductor 66, back contact element I of the circuit breaker I0, conductors I2 and I4, biasing resistor 66 and conductor 16 to the conductor 50. The grid of the electric discharge device 22 is connected to one terminal of the resistor 66 through the conductors I4 and I2, a current limiting resistor I8 and a conductor 60. The grid of the electric discharge device 22 therefore has applied to it the'potential existing on the right hand terminal of the resistor 66.

In the operation of the device, with the conductors I2 and I6 connected to the source of direct current power, and the-conductors l4 and I6 connected to a load, assuming that an overload condition such as a short circuit has caused the overload relay 20 to open its back contact element 26 to thereby cause the circuit breaker I0 to open, with this circuit breaker in the open position the back contact element 56 of the circuit breaker will close the energizing circuit for the cathode of the electric discharge device 22 and the cathode will begin heating. With the short circuit overload on the conductors I4 and I6, current will flow through the resistor 66 from left to right in a circuit extending from the conductor I2 through the conductor 44, the resistor 60, the conductor 62, the cathode of the device 22, conductors 50 and 16, the resistor 66, conductors I4 and I2, contact element I0, the conductor 68, and the load circuit to the conductor I6, thus placing a negative potential upon the grid of the electric discharge device 22 preventing the discharge device from conducting current. If now the fault on the conductors I4 and I6 is cleared, theequivalent load resistance between conductors I4 and I6 will be raised and current will flow in the opposite direction, that is, from right to left, through the biasing resistor 66 in a circuit extending from the conductor I2 through the resistor 64, the conductor 68, the contact element 10, the conductors I2 and I4, the resistor 66, the conductors I6 and 50, the resistor 52, the conductor 64, the contact element 56, and the conductors 58 and 40 to the conductor I6, thus placing a positive potential upon the grid of the electric discharge device 22. If at this time the cathode of the electric discharge device 22 has been heated to such a temperature as to produce normal emission from the cathode, the electric discharge device 22 will be rendered conductive and the auxiliary relay I6 will be energized to close its contact element 36 to thus actuate the circuit breaker I0 to closed position.

Upon closing, the circuit breaker I 0 will close its own holding circuit and will open the back contact elements 56 and.'|0 to open the anodecathode circuit and the cathode heating circuit and the grid biasing resistor circuit of the electric discharge device 22.

It will be noted that'a time delay in reclosing the breaker I0 is provided by the time interval required for the cathode of the electric discharge device 22 to be heated to full emission temperature after the circuit breaker has opened. When the anode-cathode circuit of the electric discharge device 22 is opened by the back contact element 56 of the circuit breaker I0, the auxiliary relay I8 will be deenergized and its contact element 36 will return to the open circuit position.

A conventional by-pass condenser 8| is connected between the cathode and the grid of the electric discharge device 22, and functions to prevent the tube f1 om passing anode current before the cathode attains the necessary temperature for normal emission. The condenser 8| also prevents discharge of the discharge device 22 by transient phenomena such as static and protects.

the discharge device from damage due to anode potential being applied before the full cathode charge device 24, the cathode 90, conductors 92 and 94, contact element 96 of the overload relay 20, conductor 98, the closing coil winding of the circuit breaker I0 and conductor I00 to the conductor I6.

A normally energized heating circuit for the cathode ofthe electric discharge device 24 is provided and extends from the conductor I2 through the conductor I02, a resistor I04, conductor I06, a heating element I01, conductor I08, a resistor IIO, a conductor II2 to the conductor I6.

A normally energized circuit is provided for the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I0 which extends from the conductor I2 through the conductor 82, a resistor H4, a conductor II6, conductors II! and 94, contact element 96, conductor 98, the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I0 and conductor I00 to the conductor I6. The resistance of the resistor H4 is such as to permit a current flow through the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I0 which is of a lower value than will cause the circuit breaker to close. However, it provides a potential drop across the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I0 which provides a negative bias for the grid of the electric discharge device 24, preventing the discharge device from passing current. This negative bias of the grid obtains while the overload or short circuit exists on the load circuit by virtue of the fact that there is very little potential drop in the resistor 26 to which the grid is connected because it is shunted by the low impedance load circuit. The grid is therefore, at practically the same potential as theconductor I6 while the cathode is at a potential equal to the potential drop across the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I0. Thus the potential of the grid of the electric discharge device 24 will remain negative with respect to the cathode potential until the resistance of the load circuit increases sufliciently to permit sufficient current fiow through the resistor 26 to produce a potential drop across the resistor from the point of the resistor to which the grid is electrically connected and the conductor I6 at least equal to the drop across the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I 0.

A shunting circuit for the selected part of the resistor 26 and the resistor I22 including a condenser l26 is provided and extends from the conductor I'IB through the conductor I26, the condenser I26 and conductor I30 to conductor I24. The condenser I26 is thus held charged with the polarity of the negative potential applied to the grid.

With the circuit breaker I0 in the open position, a back contact element I32 of the circuit breaker controls a circuit which connects the resistor 26 across the load circuit conductors I 4 and I6 and which extends from the conductor I4 through the conductor I64, back contact element I62, conductor I66, the resistor 26 and conductor H6 to the conductor I6. Potential is supplied to the load circuit conductor I4 from the power circuit conductor I2 when the circuit breaker is open through a resistor I61.

A front contact element I66 on the circuit breaker I6 is connected in a circuit extending from the conductor 62 through the conductor I40, contact element I66 and conductor I42 to the conductor H6 to close a shunting circuit for the current limiting resistor I I4, so that sufliclent potential may be applied to the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker I6 to hold it in closed circuit position.

In the operation of the embodiment of the invention of Fig. 2, assuming that the circuit breaker III has Just opened and is in the position shown in the drawing, and assuming that the overload or short circuit which caused the tripping of the breaker by the actuation of the overload relay 20 still exists between the conductors I4 and I 6, the negative bias circuit will be established for the grid of the electric discharge device 24 by the opening of the contact element I38, the condenser I26 will be charged with a negative potential relative to the cathode, and no current will fiow through the electric discharge device 24. With the short circuit or overload still connected to the conductors I4 and I6, little or no current will flow through the resistor 26 since it is shunted by the overload or short circuit and there will be no appreciable potential drop across the resistor 26. However, when the short circuit or overload is removed, current will fiow through the resistor 26 from the conductor I2 through the resistor I31, the conductor I34, contact element I32, conductor I36, resistor 26 and conductor II8 to the conductor I6. This will cause the potential drop across the biasing resistor 26 in such a direction as to tend to place apositive potential upon the grid of the electrical discharge device 24. However, the charge existing upon the condenser I 26 will have to be discharged through the resistors I22 and 26 before the condenser can be charged in the opposite direction by the potential drop across the resistor 26 caused by the current fiow between the power conductors. This discharge of the condenser I26 will tend to cause a current flow opposite to the direction of the current flow in the resistor 26 while the condenser is discharging, thus preventing the positive biasing potential from being applied to the 'grid until the condenser I26 has discharged. Thus, there is a time delay between the time that the fault is removed from the conductors I4 and I6 and the instant that the grid of the electric discharge device I24 is charged with a positive potential, thus delaying the closure of the circuit breaker III an interval after the fault is removed from the load conductors I4 and I6. This time delay will be proportional to the resistance in the discharge circuit of the condenser I26 and the capacity of the condenser I26, and will also be determined by the load on the conductors I4 and I6, since the current flow through the resistor 26 will be inversely proportional to the load on the conductors I4 and it. Thus, the greater the load on the power conductors I4 and I6, the longer will be the delay of the closure of the circuit breaker I0. With the grid of the electric discharge device 24 charged positively, the discharge device will conduct current to energize the the anode of said winding 01' the closing coil of the circuit breaker III to close the circuit breaker.

Any well known means may be provided for maintaining the back contact element 66 of the circuit breaker III in closed circuit position until the front contact element I36 of the circuit breaker I6 has closed to complete the holding circuit for the winding of the closing coil or the circuit breaker I0. With the circuit breaker closed, contact elements 66 and I62 will open to deenergize the anode and the grid resistor biasing circuit of the electric discharge device 24.

It is to be understood that the electric discharge device 24 of the embodiment of the invention 01 Fig. 2 may be'a cold cathode grid glow tube in which event the heating element I61 and its associated circuit would not be necessary. While the electric discharge devices 22 and 24 described herein are of the arc like type, it is to be understood that high vacuum electric discharge devices may be used in a similar manner in the circuits disclosed. In the event of the use of high vacuum electric discharge devices, it will be necessary to calibrate the auxiliary relay I6 and the winding of the closing coil of the circuit breaker III so as to cause the auxiliary relay l6 and the circuit breaker ID to close upon a predetermined amount of current in their respective circuits.

It will be seen that I have provided an automatic load measuring control system for a circuit breaker which shall function efilciently and economically without the use of sensitive and expensive relays and which shall be sensitive, simple and reliable in operation and inexpensive to manufacture, install, maintain and operate.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I have shown and described herein the preferred embodiments of my invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions shown and described, but is capable of modification by one skilled in the art, the embodiments herein shown and described bein merely illustrative of the principles of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a control system for a circuit breaker disposed to connect a load circuit to a source of power, the combination comprising an electric discharge device of the arc-like type, a Wheatstone bridge circuit comprising the load circuit as one leg thereof and a resistor connected in the galvanometer position thereof, circuit means connecting the cathode of the said discharge device to be energized in one leg of the Wheatstone bridge circuit with one of its terminals electrically connected to one terminal 01' said resistor, a second circuit connected in the galvanometer position of the bridge circuit comprising a second resistor and the grid of said discharge device. a capacitor connected between the grid of said discharge device and the said one terminal of said first resistor, circuit means connecting discharge device to be energized by the source of power, the resistance values of the legs of the bridge being such that the current fiow in said first resistor will be in such a direction as to provide a negative bias for the grid of said discharge device when the efiective reisstance of the load circuit is below a predetermined amount and in such a direction as to provide a positive bias for the grid when the efiective resistance of the load circuit is above a predetermined amount, means responsiveto the opening of the circuit breaker for connecting said Wheatstone bridge circuit to be energized by the source of power, and means responsive to the conductive condition of said discharge device for closing the circuit breaker.

2. In a control system for a circuit breaker which is disposed to connect a load circuit to a source of power, the combination comprising an electric discharge device of the arc-like type, a Wheatstone bridge circuit comprisingthe load circuit as one leg thereof and a resistor connected in the galvanometer position thereof, circuit means connectingthe cathode of the said discharge device to be energized in one leg of the Wheatstone bridge circuit with one of its terminals electrically connected to one terminal of said resistor, circuit means electrically connecting the grid of said discharge device to the other terminal of said resistor, circuit means connecting the anode of said discharge device to be energized by the source of power, the resistance values of the legs of the bridge being such that the current flow in the said resistor will be in such a direction as to provide a negative bias for the grid of said discharge device when the effective resistance of the load circuit is below a predetermined amount and in such a direction as to provide a positive bias for the grid when the effective resistance of the load circuit is above a predetermined amount, means responsive to the opening of the circuit breaker for connecting said Wheatstone bridge circuit to be energized by the source of power, and means responsive to the conductive condition of said discharge device for closing the circuit breaker.

3. In a control system for a circuit breaker which is disposed to connect a load circuit to a source of power, the combination comprising an electric discharge device of the arc-like type,.a Wheatstone bridge circuit comprising the load circuit as one leg thereof, a first resistor, means connecting said first resistor in parallel circuit relation with the load circuit, a second resistor means electrically connecting one terminal of said second resistor to an intermediate point on said first resistor means electrically connecting the second terminal of said second resistor to the grid of said discharge device, a capacitor means electrically connecting said capacitor between said grid and a terminal of said first resistor, means electrically connecting the cathode of said discharge device with said bridge circuit so as to provide a circuit in the galvanometer position comprising a portion of said first resistor, said second resistor and the grid and cathode of said discharge device, means controlled by the opening of the circuit breaker for connecting said bridge circuit and the anode of said discharge device to be energized by the source of power, and means responsive to the conductive condition of said discharge device for closing said circuit breaker.

4. In a control system for a circuit breaker which is disposed to connect a load circuit to a source of power, the combination comprising an electric discharge device of the arc-like type, a Wheatstone bridge circuit including the load circuit as one leg thereof and having the grid and cathode of the said discharge device connected in the galvanometer position thereof, a shunting circuit for the load circuit comprising a resistor so connected with respect to the grid and cathode of said discharge device as to determine the relative potentials of said grid and cathode, and to thereby render said discharge device conductive when a predetermined equivalent resistance exists on the said load circuit, means applying an operating poteiu ial to the Wheatstone bridge circuit and a positive potential to the anode of said electric discharge device, and means responsive to the conductive condition of said discharge device for closing the circuit breaker.

WILLIAM R. TALIAFERRO. 

